Dragon Quest VIII 2: Evil's Revenge
by MeganiteDuelist92
Summary: Takes place a few months or so after the Hero, who I have named Garreth, and Medea marry, but an evil villain from their past wants to take revenge on the heroes, and with the bandits of Blitzton and some new monster friends helping them, will they succeed? HeroXMedea, YangusXRed, AngeloXJessica, and I'll find someone for Charmles. That, I guarantee.
1. The Bandits of Blitzton

Ch.1- The Bandits of Blitzton-

Seven months has passed after Garreth, a Trodain palace guard, and his friends annihilated Rhapthorne, who had murdered the descendents of the Seven Sages who sealed him into a scepter that was locked up inside of King Trodain's Kingdom. Dhoulmagus had broken into the palace, stole the scepter and placed a curse on the entire place and those inside of it. The King and his daughter, Princess Medea were transformed into a troll and a horse respectively, but Garreth was unharmed by the curse. He journeyed alongside King Trode and Princess Medea to hunt down the evil jester and stop him once and for all, but along the way, they made some friends who accompanied them: Yangus, a former bandit, Jessica Albert, a sorceress, and Angelo, a Templar Knight. Garreth, and his trio of new friends, banded together and defeated Dhoulmagus, then Jessica, after being possessed by Rhapthorne through a scepter she retrieved after Dhoulmagus' demise, was brought back to her senses, and then the four took down many others who Rhapthorne had possessed all the way up to the evil villain himself.

The curse had broken, and King Trode, his daughter Medea, and the people of Trodain were restored to their normal forms. Then they had another problem to deal with: Medea and Charmles' (AKA Charmless') wedding. But good prevailed and Garreth ended up marrying Medea after learning of his parents through Chen Mui, and showed the Argon Ring to his uncle, King Claudius of Argonia. Now it's been five months since the wedding, and things have been peaceful in the world, but a new threat comes to disrupt it.

Kingdom of Trodain- Outside the Gates-

"I don't know about this, guys." a small boy said, nervously. "What did these people do to us?"

"C'mon, Raidon, you're not going to chicken out now, are ya?" another boy, whose voice sounded a bit older than the other boy's voice, taunted.

That was when the eldest of the group, a woman wearing a palace guard's armor, spoke.

"Listen, if we don't do what they say, they're going to do it themselves. And they will kill everyone here, not like us." she said, looking at the two boys. "Just get what you can, and then get out before we get overwhelmed. Ready?"

The two boys nodded, and then they entered the castle, incognito.

Meanwhile- Inside the Castle- Medea's Room-

Garreth listened as his wife had played on the piano. His eyes were closed, and he smiled as Medea played.

"It seems like only yesterday when you came to this kingdom, and we started off as friends, but now, we're closer than ever." Medea said, looking up at Garreth, with a smile.

"Yeah, we're husband and wife now." Garreth agreed, leaning down to kiss Medea on the lips. "Don't forget, Yangus, Jessica, and Angelo are coming for dinner tonight. I also hear that King Claudius is coming, but the bad news is that my cousin Charmless is coming too."

Medea frowned at the mention of that name, but then they heard a shout and some fighting coming from down the hall.

"What is that?" asked Medea.

Garreth bolted to the door and opened it; he was shocked to see that other palace guards were lying on the ground, groaning in pain, or unconscious. Garreth and Medea rushed over to one guard who was awake.

"What happened?" asked Medea. "Who did this?"

The guard groaned, then said: "…I-It was bandits…B-Ban-Bandits broke into the castle…"

Before Garreth could speak, he saw a little boy in palace guard clothing looking straight at him. He wore a red headband over his dark blue spiky hair, and brown eyes peered out through his glasses. He seemed no older than eleven.

"That's one of the bandits!" another guard shouted.

The boy gulped and made a run for it. Garreth shouted and chased after him, with Medea following behind. The small boy raced out of the castle and met up with his two friends, but before they could attempt to escape, they were stopped by a whip which shot out and wrapped around the blue-haired boy's ankle, tripping him.

"Zephyr!" the other boy yelled.

Jessica Albert towered over the boy, and snapped her whip back into place. The snap had the boy staring in shock. His friend, Raidon, rushed to help Zephyr, but was stopped by an attack from a man, wielding a warhammer.

"Where d'you think you're goin'?" Yangus yelled, glaring down at him.

Angelo stood beside him, ready to join in.

"Looks like we came a little early. I wonder if the Guv was aware of a break-in." he said, looking at Yangus.

"Never mind that, help me bring 'em in."

But just before they could touch the bandits, another fighter joined in the battle. He was clearly older than the other boys, but wasn't as afraid of the trio who stopped his comrades. He wore a helmet with two curved horns on it, and an armor that looked different from his friends.

"About time, Ethanial!" Zephyr said, looking up at the newcomer.

"If you came to fight," Angelo challenged the man, unsheathing his rapier. "You came to the right place."

"I didn't come here looking for a fight, but I guess there's no changing your mind." the man responded, taking out two swords. "I am known as Ethanial Marks, a blacksmith and a swordsman. Don't think I will fall so easily."

Angelo and Yangus charged forth and they tried to hit Ethanial, but they missed. Ethanial had ducked out of their reach, and he swung his swords in a circle nearly decapitating them. He had moved so fast, they barely had time to dodge.

"This isn't good." Angelo muttered to his friend. "We need to be careful."

"No joke. This guy's not playin' around." Yangus agreed, watching the swordsman carefully. "We'll just have to try and catch him off guard."

Ethanial charged at them, but was caught by Jessica, who's snakeskin whip was wrapped around his throat. Ethanial could only watch as Yangus and Angelo rushed at him ready to strike. However before they could hit him, Angelo felt his legs being caught by something, and Yangus nearly tripped by some thin wires wrapped around his legs. The woman and the other two boys had joined in to help their friend. It also appeared that Ethanial had two daggers concealed within his sleeves, ready to kill Yangus and Angelo, his swords aimed at Jessica. It seemed like it would end in a draw, and the two sides backed off. After Jessica's whip was released from his neck, Ethanial re-sheathed his swords, and bowed.

"That was an excellent match." he said, politely. "Forgive my friends, they don't resort to stealing often."

He looked over at the trio, angrily.

"Zephyr, Raidon, Hera, come over here." he commanded.

The three walked over to him, Angelo, Jessica, and Yangus, then they apologized. But before they could say more, something hit Ethanial on his back, and knocked him to the ground. King Trode stood there behind him, panting. It appeared he had jumped into the air and kicked him.

"That's for breaking into our home, you bandit!" he shouted.

"But wait, Ethanial didn't do anything!" Raidon told him. "We did. Ethanial just came to help us, and he read us the riot act, too. He made us apologize to these guys."

King Trode looked down at the fallen swordsman, who was groaning in pain.

"We couldn't even touch 'im, yet the old codger brought the guy to his knees." Yangus complained, a little disappointed.

"Would you stop calling me that?" asked King Trode. "As for the children, the young lady, and the lad I accidentally knocked over, bring them in."


	2. The Story and the Attack

Ch.2- The Story and the Attack-

Inside the Castle- Dining Hall-

After Ethanial was patched up, King Trode invited the bandits to dine with him and the others. King Claudius and Prince Charmles had come a little while after the King's doctors had checked Ethanial for any injuries. All were now sitting around a table, having a friendly conversation. The table was rectangular, and both kings sat on either end of the table. On the left side, the seating arrangement went as so: Angelo, who sat closest to King Trode, then Jessica, then Princess Medea, Garreth, Yangus, and Prince Charmles, who sat near his father, King Claudius, at the other end. On the other side, it was Zephyr, who sat near King Claudius, Raidon, Ethanial, and Hera. Munchie, or Chen Mui to the heroes, sat on the empty seat beside Ethanial, eating away at a nice slab of cheese.

"So, you're the lost prince of Argonia?" asked Raidon. "Interesting, very interesting."

"Yes, you couldn't tell how surprised I was." Garreth answered, smiling. "Oh, excuse me, we never got to properly introduce ourselves. I'm Garreth, and this is my wife, Medea."

"Nice to meet you all." Medea piped up, bowing her head slightly at them.

"Name's Jessica Albert, I'm from Alexandria." Jessica greeted, looking up at the new guests. "I'm a sorceress in training still."

"I am Angelo, Templar Captain of the Maella Abbey." Angelo said, with a small smile. "My brother was the captain, but, things happened."

"An' you can call me Yangus, I come from Pickham." Yangus finished. "Reformed thief, an' good friend of the guv 'ere."

"Pleased to meet you all. I'm Raidon," Raidon said, looking up at Garreth. "I'm good with magic, and my father, a student of a few magicians from around the world, taught me some very useful spells."

"My name is Zephyr, I'm quick like the wind when it comes to running and thinking." the blue-haired boy added, taking off his glasses to polish them. "This lady right here is Hera, a master of stealth and deceit." he added, motioning to the female sitting across from Medea.

Angelo opened his mouth to say something, but Jessica quickly elbowed him in the ribs. Garreth and Yangus both snickered silently, which went unnoticed.

"And I am Ethanial Marks, the sort of big brother of this troop," said Ethanial. "I'm the son of a blacksmith, wanted to be a soldier instead. Blacksmiths can't go 'round, helping people and whatnot, just create weapons and armor for people who can buy it, unaware of what they're being used for."

King Trode let out a heavy sigh, that was a very good point. He could see what this young man was talking about, as a weapon could either be used to protect lives, or destroy them. However, being a soldier wasn't all fun and games either, as some kings or queens ordered their soldiers to kill as well, and sometimes, innocent lives were lost. He broke from his train of thought when a small voice spoke up.

"So, are you guys really the ones who defeated that demon Rhapthorne?" Raidon blurted out.

Garreth and his friends looked at Zephyr in surprise, more like amazed actually. They didn't think anyone else would know about that.

"Wasn't that easy finding him, and it wasn't that easy beating him either." Jessica answered, frowning. "He put up quite the fight."

"Aside from the epic battle that took place, what brings you to Trodain, son?" asked King Claudius. "You know of who defeated that monster, and attacked this kingdom anyways."

King Trode nodded in agreement.

"Claudius has a point, child, best explain yourselves." he encouraged the bandits.

Raidon looked up at Ethanial, nervously, as if lost for words. So, the elder bandit spoke.

"I was following them. After that freak attacked our village just five months ago, things have gotten hard for the survivors. Our whole village was decimated by a mere sorcerer, many people died, including my father. I've been looking after the boys and Hera here myself, as the strongest of the survivors."

Garreth, Medea, King Trode, Yangus, Jessica, Angelo, and King Claudius gasped in shock, but Charmles kept on eating, ignoring the guests. These four bandits were on their own, homeless. The seven of them felt bad for these four wanderers. Then something hit Yangus, and he shot out of his seat.

"Wait, I've heard abou' that!" the Pickham bandit shouted. "A small village called Blitzton, tha's near Arcadia, was attacked, and a lot of people died in there, but some went missing. No one knew exactly wot it was, but some sort of man emerged from the destruction and laughed like a madman."

Angelo took a sip of his tea, and glanced at his friend.

"Figures, we get rid of one psycho, and another comes to take his place." he spoke, calmly. "It's like Rhapthorne all over again."

Jessica gave him another sharp nudge in the ribs, causing him to inhale sharply.

"Don't even joke!" she scolded him.

"...D-Dear...Goddess,..." Angelo wheezed, painfully. "...you have quite...the elbow..."

"Do you know wha' he looked like?" asked King Trode.

"Yes, he had long hair, and a long face that sent chills in m' spine," Raidon responded, placing a hand on his chin. "But he wore the strangest get-up."

"Hey, just like grandad!" Yangus cracked, smirking at Garreth. "Only without the hair and long face!"

"Stop calling me that!" the King of Trodain snapped, angrily.

Jessica, Angelo, and Medea couldn't help but chuckle, seeing the two argue again. It was like old times. King Claudius just took a sip from his glass, hiding the smirk on his face. This truly was amusing. Charmles, however, stopped eating long enough to glare at the bandits.

"I still say that you should be thrown in the dungeon for breaking into a castle, you vile heathens." Charmles announced, in a snobbish tone.

Raidon rolled back the sleeve of his right arm, and made to charge at the prince of Argonia, but Ethanial held him in his seat by the collar. Hera raised his eyebrows and then turned to Medea and Jessica.

"When I heard that you were to marry him, let me tell you this, I imagined someone a little more...humble and handsome," she commented, lowering her voice. "Like Sir Garreth."

"You and me both." Jessica agreed, taking another bite from her food. "So, Hera,-"

"Call me Madaline, Jessica."

"-Er, Madaline, how old are you all?"

"Raidon is only eleven, Ethanial is seventeen, Zephyr is thirteen, and I am sixteen. Zephyr is my younger brother, and Raidon is Ethanial's protege."

Raidon nodded proudly when she mentioned him, while Zephyr gave a small shrug. Moments after they finished eating, King Trode offered to let Hera and the boys stay the night in the castle, and would have Garreth assist them with their problem in the morning. So, he, Garreth, Medea, Yangus, Angelo, and Jessica led their visitors down the halls to their rooms.

"I'm amazed tha' someone as short as you could be able to knock down a bloke like Ethanial, granddad." said Yangus

"You'll be next if you don't shut your trap." King Trode told him.

"We're going to have to put them in the Monster Arena if this keeps up." Angelo joked, grinning.

"Do they always argue like this?" asked Hera.

"Since the day they met." Medea answered.

She could still remember when they left Trodain to seek out Master Rylus in Farebury, and Yangus attempted to block them from crossing the bridge. He failed, and almost lost his life when the bridge collapsed, but that's not how the story ended. While King Trode wanted to move ahead and leave the man to die, Garreth rushed to help him, and earned a new friend in return for his kind deed. Medea smiled warmly at the memory, looking at the two best friends talking to each other, also smiling. The group continued walking down the hall when they saw some guards running towards the infirmary. Garreth's eyes narrowed as he rushed down their to see what happened.

"Guv!" Yangus shouted, following him.

The others followed, and when they rounded the corner, and stopped at the doorway, Garreth's face was twisted in shock. A guard lay on his back on the soft bed, he was covered in blood, and appeared to be dying. Medea's hands flew to her mouth, shocked at what happened, and Jessica strode forward, trying to keep control of her emotions.

"Who did this?" the young sorceress demanded.

"King Trode, you're not going to like who the attacker was." another guard said, looking down at the king. "He shot the man with an arrow, then Zoomed away. There was a note attached to the arrow though."

Garreth took the note from him, then scanned it. His already shocked expression turned into a horrified one. His hand fell to his side, as he tried to find the strength to breathe.

"What is it, m'boy?" asked King Trode.

"Is it that bad?" asked Medea.

Garreth could only just stand there with the horrified expression still on his face.

"I guess it is that bad." Angelo stated, taking the note from him. "And from the looks of this note, it is."

Jessica took the note from him, then began reading it aloud:

**"I have come, little pests, to exact my revenge for my previous defeat. The town of Blitzton was just a test run of my new power, Trodain, Alexandria, the Maella Abbey, and even Pickham are next. Can you stop me before I have taken what is most dear to you once more? Like the little boys and Mrs. Albert, or the children of Maella Abbey? Ms. Red and the Mare Princess should prove to be quite fun to kill."**

The others, who were huddled around the sorceress, gasped in fright. Jessica and Angelo were shaking with fury though, more so than Garreth and Yangus, innocent lives were just being threatened if this madman wasn't stopped in time.

"Someone you have defeated before?" King Claudius questioned, putting a hand to his chin in thought.

"Could it be Rhapthorne?" asked Medea.

"No, its impossible." replied Yangus. "We all gave him a good beatin' and sent him packin'."

Garreth looked back at the note, a serious expression on his face. Then King Claudius clapped a hand on his nephew's shoulder.

"Fear not, m'boy," he spoke, softly. "You can take this bloke, after all, you and your friends defeated Rhapthorne, and that jester you mentioned before."

Garreth nodded, and asked King Trode to have the kingdom's inhabitants moved to Argonia, which both kings agreed to, but the prince and princess did not.

"Absolutely not!" Charmles barked, outraged.

"I won't leave you!" Medea shouted, angrily.

"You are to stay in Argonia, so you won't get hurt." Garreth told his wife, sternly. "I'm not placing you in harm's way."

He turned to his friends, and saw that Ethanial stepped forward. He knew what the man was attempting to do, and would not allow it.

"You'll need help, Garreth," he spoke, fiercely. "Let us help, as payment for our crimes of attempted theft."

"You and your friends need to stay in Argonia too, if you want to help, King Claudius could use more fighters to protect the kingdom," Garreth ordered, stepping past him. "Yangus, Jessica, Angelo, you up for another adventure?"

Said ex-thief, sorceress, and Templar Captain nodded, and went off to prepare the wagon. Garreth went to his room to gather his belongings, while behind him, eight pairs of eyes glanced after him.

* * *

><p>Sorry about the delay, guys! I lost the chapter, and things happened. I'll get to work on the third one, and will try to update soon, along with my Fairly Oddparents fanfic. Please review and tell your DQ-fanatic friends about this fanfic.<p> 


	3. Setting Off

Ch.3- Setting Off-

Outside Trodain Castle-

About an hour passed when Garreth decided that he and his three companions would be leaving to seek out whoever attacked Trodain, and many of the castle's inhabitants had taken the next ship to Argonia, where they would stay until this mess had blown over. However, it seemed a palace guard had decided to stay behind, and was attempting to sneak into the wagon waiting outside for the heroes. The guard was dressed in a metal suit of armor, and seemed to be having trouble walking right in it. When the guard finally reached the bottom of the stairs, she felt two arms grab either one of her arms, and dragged her back on the side of the castle.

"Let me go! Unhand me this instant!" a woman's voice commanded from beneath the armored headgear. "Garreth! Ga-MMMPH!"

A soft hand clamped over her mouth, and the two arms continued pulling her back, screaming and thrashing. After being dragged back a few more yards, the person let go of the woman, and took off her helmet, revealing Medea underneath. The princess rounded on her abductor, glaring heatedly at him and ready to start shouting again, but stopped. Before her stood Ethanial, Hera, Zephyr, and Raidon, all dressed in basic battle gear.

"What are you doing here?" asked Medea.

"Same thing you're doing, I guess." Zephyr replied, shrugging. "Though in that noisemaker, you won't be able to stowaway so easily. You'd get caught before reaching the gates."

Medea stared at them, confused. Then, Hera took out a set of leather armor, a leather shield, and a steel broadsword. Medea took these, and Raidon signaled her to follow him. The four travelers led the princess to another wagon that was hiding in the castle stables, where Medea climbed inside to change into the new clothing. She closed the flaps and quickly took off the armor that she wore before, and pulled on the new set, and equipped her new shield and sword. When she poked her head back out, Raidon was holding up a warrior's helm.

"Thank you." said Medea.

She put it on her head, and climbed out of the wagon. She hardly looked like a princess now, but Hera said she was ready to go with her friends and husband now. Ethanial motioned for them to go, and they headed back to Garreth's wagon, and climbed back, which was a bit bigger now. It would be able to hold the Alchemy Pot, some camping gear, and any food, weapons, and armor they pick up along the way. But to their surprise, a certain pudgy young man dressed in royal green threads was hidden inside.

"Isn't he that Prince of Argonia? 'Charmless', was it?" asked Zephyr.

"It's 'Charm-ley', you ruffian." Charmles retorted, angrily.

"What brings you here?" Medea demanded, cautiously.

Charmles handed her a rolled up piece of parchment, which contained a note from his father. King Claudius stated he saw Medea sneaking out of the castle to accompany Garreth, Yangus, Angelo, and Jessica on their trip, and discovered that the four visitors had disappeared also, so he decided to send Charmles along as well, to get a taste of the real world. After all, it wouldn't matter where he was, Charmles would still be attacked.

"I don't think we can all fit in this wagon," Raidon pointed out. "We should take that other wagon."

"We'll be caught either way." said Ethanial. "We can walk and try to stay out of sight, or..."

He trailed off there, and before he could say more, the doors opened. The six of them piled back into the wagon and closed the flaps before they could be seen, then held their breath. They heard some talking coming from the top of the steps, and footsteps coming near them. Ethanial was huddled up against one side of the wagon, with Medea sitting beside him, Charmles and Zephyr hid underneath the tents, not daring to peek outside, and Hera was hiding beneath some covers with Raidon sitting next to her. All were sitting in extremely uncomfortable positions, and could not move out of fear of being caught.

"So, now that everyone's safely out of the castle, let's get a move on." Angelo announced, throwing his bag in the back of the wagon.

"The sooner the better." Jessica's voice spoke in agreement.

Two more bags were thrown in, both hitting Raidon and Charmles, who were now trying not to yell in pain. Both just rubbed wherever was hurting, and silently groaned. The wagon shook a bit, and the neigh of a horse followed after, which meant that they were leaving. The wagon began to move forward, and they could hear footsteps on each side of the vehicle. One person was walking behind the wagon, and two more on each side.

_"But who's driving?" _Medea wondered.

She was about to move to take a peek, but Ethanial shook his head violently, warning her not to blow their cover. The princess resigned, and sat back against the side again.

"So, guv, where're we goin'?" asked Yangus.

Outside the wagon, Garreth pulled back on the reins and the horses stopped. He took out the map he had received from Angelo's brother, Marcello, and opened it. After a moment of scanning it, he pointed to one particular place.

"Uh, new plan. We're going to Pickham, to look for the people of Blitzton, we'll have to Zoom there." Garreth announced, rolling it back up. "We're going to get more answers about this new threat. But Jessica and Angelo, you two take the wagon and some chimaera wings and head to Maella Abbey and Alexandria, evacuate everyone, then meet back up with us."

He hopped off the seat, and helped Jessica and Angelo on, the former taking the reins, and Angelo was handed a sack full of chimaera wings, one of which he had taken out, preparing to depart.

"Oh, cripes." Ethanial groaned, lightly. "Ladies and gents, please keep your hands and feet inside the wagon and in a firm position at all times.

"Why?" asked Charmles.

"We're in a wagon, and they're using a chimaera wing to teleport themselves and the wagon to several places," Raidon explained, quietly. "Whatever you do, do not make a sound, and try not to cause a ruckus when we warp."

"_ZOOM, TO PICKHAM!_" Garreth shouted, suddenly.

Loud sounds of wooshing whirlwinds alerted the group inside the wagon to Garreth and Yangus Zooming away to their destination, and then they heard Angelo's voice shouting next.

"_Chimaera wing, take us to Maella Abbey!_"

Medea and Charmles felt something pulling at their bodies, and they felt as if they were being stretched upwards. It only lasted for a few moments though, as they felt gravity push them downwards again with a sudden jerk. Medea put a hand to her heart, and felt it racing in her chest.

"Oh, my..." she whispered, breathlessly.

"You get used to it." Zephyr told her.

"I think I'm gonna be sick..." groaned Charmles.

The others quickly turned to him, noticing that the snobbish prince's face was pale green, and his hands were clasped over his mouth.

"Hold it in, man!" Raidon whispered, urgently. "You heave, and they'll find out we stowed away!"

"Come on, Jessica, we must alert your mother!" Angelo's voice beckoned from outside the wagon.

A pair of rushing footsteps retreated from the wagon, and by the time Angelo and Jessica were out of earshot, Charmles had charged out of the wagon and headed for a clearing to...ahem, make oatmeal. Medea and Ethanial climbed out after him, and began helping the others out as well, then Medea looked towards the entrance to Alexandria.

"They'll be back out soon." she pointed out.

"Yeah, whoever needs to go throw up, do it now," Ethanial ordered the other stowaways. "I'm guessing we've got about five minutes, maybe six, give or take."

"I've gotta go, Eth." Raidon said, waving his right arm around in the air.

"Behind the tree, kid. Anyone else?"

In Alexandria- Albert Residence-

"What?!" Mrs. Albert shrieked.

"Are you certain, Lady Jessica?" one of the servants asked.

"Yes, we need to get everyone in a group, and I'll give you a chimaera wing," Jessica explained, calmly. "The King of Argonia has agreed to let you all into his castle, we'll meet you all there as soon as we find the people of Maella Abbey."

Almost immediately after she was finished, Mrs. Albert told her servants to pack up their belongings, Jessica's, and her own as well, only what was important and what they couldn't bear to leave behind. Jessica offered to gather her own things, while asking Angelo to retrieve her brother's things. After they were done, Angelo helped carry Jessica's things to the wagon, and threw them in, unaware that Medea, Charmles, Ethanial, and the others were back in the wagon by this time. One bag hit Zephyr square on the head, and a trunk landed on Medea's hand, almost causing her to cry out in pain. Then, Jessica and Angelo returned to rally up the rest of the people of Alexandria.

"Listen to me, everyone! You're all in grave danger!" Angelo announced, his voice loud enough to be heard over the murmuring crowd. "There's been an attack on a village nearby Pickham, and someone invaded the Trodain Kingdom, now the perpetrator has announced that Maella Abbey, or Alexandria will be next. So we're going to head to Argonia, and stay there for the time being."

Angelo hardly heard the end of his speech as the rest of the town went into a panic, running around, screaming and crying. Angelo pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing with irritation.

"Dear Goddess..." he muttered.

A sudden whoosh startled him, and he saw a fireball crash into the ground, harmlessly avoiding the panicking villagers, but enough to make them stop in their tracks and look up at who shot it. The Templar Captain turned around to see Jessica with her hand outstretched, wearing a deep frown on her face.

"We're not cavemen, people," she scolded her people. "Can we do this in a more civilized manner, or are you gonna continue to act like a bunch of monkeys?"

Silence from the crowd and Angelo.

"Thank you. Now, everyone, gather up your things, don't bring a lot of stuff, just whatever you can't bear to leave behind." Jessica ordered them. "Angelo, when they finish, give them a chimaera wing."

She turned tail and stormed out of the town's gates, leaving everyone else to do as they were told. Jessica continued down the path, stopping only when she reached the wagon. She walked around back, and looked through the flaps.

"Hmm, looks alright..." the sorceress observed, looking from one side to the other. "I think we've got enough room for Angelo's possessions, then after we're done in Maella Abbey, we can meet with the guv."

Jessica was about to close the flaps, when she noticed something strange in the wagon. Behind the alchemy pot, it looked like a green hat, and it resembled Prince Charmles' very much. It appeared to be hovering over the pot.

_"Hmm, Charmless' hat, but that bloke wouldn't dare stowaway, considering..." _Jessica thought to herself. _"No, it's not possible. But maybe-"_

"Jessica?" Angelo's voice called out.

Jessica looked up to see Angelo hurrying down the path after her.

"The people of Alexandria are now on their way to the kingdom of Argonia," he reported. "Now let's hurry and set out to Maella Abbey."

"Right." Jessica agreed, with a nod.

However, before Angelo could move a single step, Jessica pointed at the inside of the wagon, while making a gesture that told him to be quiet. Curiously, Angelo took a peek inside, looking around until he saw the green hat. Angelo closed the flaps and smirked, the two exchanged mischievous looks, then headed to the front of the wagon, preparing to warp again. Inside the wagon, Ethanial whispered to his comrades to brace themselves for another warp, and they did so.

* * *

><p>So, Angelo and Jessica are on to their stowaways, and that's one town evacuated so far. Next we'll see Garreth and Yangus in Pickham, and heading to Blitzton. And who knows what I'll have planned next chapter.<p> 


	4. Red Joins the Party

Ch.4- Red Joins the Party-

Meanwhile- Outside Pickham-

While Jessica and Angelo were evacuating Alexandria, Garreth and Yangus were on their way to Blitzton, or what was left of it. As they walked towards the destroyed town, they saw a familiar duo standing outside a big tower.

"'ey, guv! Look!" Yangus exclaimed, pointing forward. "It's Red an' that Morrie bloke!"

"Red? What's she doing here?" Garreth wondered.

Red and Morrie stopped their conversation when they saw the two men heading their way, and Red smiled upon seeing Yangus.

"Well, well, if it isn't my partner, Yangus!" Red stated, grinning widely. "And his best mate, the guv! 'Garreth', right?"

"Yeah, you got it." said Garreth. "Nice to see you again. You, too, Morrie."

Morrie chuckled, heartily, clapping the young man on the back painfully.

"It's been a while, my friend!" he greeted, cheerfully. "How's the wife?"

"She's doing fine, last week," replied Garreth. "She put on a concert for Alexandria for Jessica's friend's birthday. The children absolutely adored it."

"Excellent, please, tell her and her father I say 'hello'!"

"Of course, Morrie! So, how's business, Red?"

Red shrugged before replying: "Getting better and better, but it's also becoming boring without ol' Yangus here to pick on. What brings you two here? I thought you were married, Mr. Lost Prince of Argonia. Or is it 'Prince of Trodain' now?"

"We're 'ere on important business, Red. Know where Blitzton is?" asked Yangus.

Red tapped her chin in thought for a moment, then she looked back up at the two friends. Yangus didn't like the look of the smile on her face.

"I can take you there, on one condition though," answered Red. "No quests, or favors, just let me join you on some of your travels, guys."

Yangus leapt back a little in shock, while Garreth's jaw dropped a little. Morrie's eyebrows raised a little in surprise.

"You wot?!" the ex-bandit of Pickham exclaimed. "Red, this isn't a game! There are people in real danger 'ere!"

"Then find Blitzton on your own, Yangus." announced Red. "I'll head back home now."

She took twelve steps away from her partner when he finally relented.

"Okay, okay, you can come, Red..." sighed Yangus. "But you stay close, got it? No wanderin' off, no pillagin', nothin'."

_"Sucker." _Red thought, smirking.

"Follow me, gents." she ordered them.

Yangus followed her down the road, with Garreth following after them. He stopped when Morrie called out to him.

"Ragazzo, wait! What does your friend mean by 'real danger'?" he asked.

"Someone out to get back at me and my friends for defeating him, I guess." replied Garreth.

Then, an idea formed in the half-Dragovian's mind. A great idea.

"Morrie, mind if I ask you something?" Garreth asked, thinking.

Elsewhere- Inside Maella Abbey-

"Captain Angelo, you can't be serious!" one of the Templar guards exclaimed.

Angelo stood before the people of Maella Abbey, having just given them the news on what was going on. Jessica stood beside him, ready to conjure up another fireball if these people broke out into a panic, too. The children appeared to be frightful, while the men and women gossiped in panicked whispers. Angelo was basically telling them they had to leave and go to the Argonian kingdom unless they wanted to get hurt.

"But what if some children come by looking for a place to stay?" asked one woman.

The young Templar Captain frowned deeply, he hadn't thought of that one. Then one man made a suggestion.

"What if we asked the people of Simpleton or Peregrin Quay to send them to Argonia?" he asked.

"But what if they're attacked too?" another man pointed out.

Angelo covered his face with both his hands, these people weren't helping ease their worries. He then turned to Jessica.

"Why can't it be like Alexandria, and it wasn't so difficult?" he asked her, quietly.

Unknown to them, Zephyr was eavesdropping outside the doorway, and he caught every word that the people inside said. The young boy thought for a moment, then he placed his fist on his hand, and ran back to the others, who were sitting in the wagon.

"What's going on, Zeph?" asked Hera.

"Hera, we need to call Tripp," her younger brother replied. "We need to send some messages, it's urgent."

"Who's Tripp?" asked Medea.

"And what's so urgent that you need to call this person?" Charmles added, curiously.

"We'll find out when he gets here, I suppose." Hera answered, jumping out of the wagon. "Ethanial, get out some paper and write down whatever Zephyr tells you to."

The young swordsman quickly opened his satchel and took out several sheets of paper and some ink and a quill. Then Medea took them from him, causing the tall boy to look at her curiously.

"Please allow me, Ethanial," she offered. "Don't take this the wrong way, but an urgent letter from royalty would be taken more seriously than one from a commoner. No offense, of course."

"None taken," Ethanial told her. "That's actually a great idea. Does anyone have a seal or something we can use?"

Outside the wagon, Hera inhaled deeply, then put two fingers in her mouth.

_"Oh, please don't let us get caught."_ she mentally prayed.

The young woman let out a loud, long whistle, and in mere seconds, they saw a silver beam of light shoot towards them. The light disappeared, and a small baby dragon, resembling a Small Fry, floated before them. Unlike the Small Fry species, this dragon was a silver and periwinkle colored beast with slightly bigger wings, and a shorter tail. It gave a small happy cry upon seeing Hera, and circled around her, chattering excitedly.

"Okay-Okay! It's nice to see you again, too, Trippy!" Hera squealed, as the small dragon licked her cheek. "Stop that, it tickles!"

"It's a lizard!" Charmles yelped, backing away.

"No, you nincompoop, that's a dragon, don't know what kind exactly," Raidon corrected him. "He's a special one though, he is, because Trippy was born with special powers."

Medea climbed forward, very slowly, and held out a hand before the small winged creature, then she felt a wet tongue licking it softly. The Trodain princess giggled as the little dragon nuzzled it's head against her arm in a loving gesture.

"Aww, he likes you!" said Zephyr.

Tripp then looked up at Charmles, and cocked it's head to the side, as if confused as to why the round prince wasn't coming up to pet him.

"It's okay, Charmles, he's a good little fella." Hera assured him.

Charmles was about to state for the umpteenth time in his life his dislike of anything related to lizards, but the look on Tripp's face was too adorable to refuse.

_"Well, he does look a little cute...for a beast that is." _he thought to himself.

Charmles began to crawl forward, and try to pet the dragon, but the little monster's ears perked up, as if it heard something.

"What is it, boy?" asked Hera.

"Angelo and Jessica must be returning." Ethanial concluded, as he handed her the scroll. "Let's send Tripp on his way."

"Right. Now Trippy, we need you to drop these off at Peregrin Quay and Simpleton. Return home the moment you do, okay, little guy?"

Tripp gave what looked like a salute, and took the two rolled up parchments in its claws, then took off in the skies at high speed. The rest of the group climbed into the wagon once more and resumed their hiding places. At that time, Angelo and Jessica returned to the wagon, and were ready to make their way to Pickham.

"Okay, let's get back to the guv." Jessica announced.

"Roger. Let's go to Pickham," Angelo agreed. "But first,..."

Inside the wagon, the stowaways could hear footsteps coming towards the back of the wagon, and they felt their heartbeats quicken with dread. Had Angelo and Jessica caught on? Had they been found out? The flap was opened, and they shut their eyes tightly, hoping that they wouldn't be discovered.

* * *

><p>Thank you so much for your patience, guys! Okay, so Red joins the gang, and the Hero asks Morrie a favor, but what are Angelo and Jessica up to? And how special is Tripp the dragon? Find out in Chapter 5!<p> 


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